Oklahoma's Mining Past

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Facing a daunting $143 million price tag for the work, Oklahoma may never reclaim some abandoned coal mines that pose a danger to people or the environment.

The state received a miniscule portion of that total in federal funding for such projects this year, and director Mike Kastl of the state Conservation Commission's abandoned mine lands program says some old mines may never be restored.

Using data from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Tulsa World calculated that it would cost $91 million to restore only the old mines that pose a risk to people. The newspaper's analysis found that fixing mines that could cause environmental harm would cost another $52.6 million.

The state received only $1.8 million in federal funding for such projects this year.